Trolley



16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l QUE TROLLEY J. G. JACKSON ET AL Original FiledDec.

June 22, 1943.

INVENTORS n G. c/ackson, 97; h. ffi'n Jon.

ATTOR EY June 22, 1943. J. G. JACKSON ET AL 2,322,640

TROLLEY I Original Filed Dec. 16, 1935 2 Sheets5heet 2 INVENT R375/0371, G. acZSOn,

k4 ATTO NEY Patented June 22, 1943 TRoLLEr John G. Jackson and RalphlLKingdon; Detroit,

Mich., assignors to Square D Company, Detroit,

Micl1., a corporation of Michigan Qriginal application December 16,1935, Serial N 0. 54,554. Divided and this application February 2'7,.1942, Serial No.

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a current collector trolley for mobileelectric distribution systems and constitutes a division of application,Serial No. 5%,554 filed December 16, 1935, for Trolley duct.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved form of circuitcontrolling trolley for electrical distribution systems.

Another object of the invention :is to provide a current collectortrolley having a plurality of rollers with means for equalizing. thecontact pressureon the rollers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a current collectortrolley with a cover or guard plate separating the carriage from thetrolley conductors.

Other objects of the invention include the provision in a currentcollecting trolley of a simple polarizing means and of bumper means forreducing the shock of trolley collisions.

Other objects and features of the invention will be readilyapparent tothose skilled in the'art from the following specification and appendeddrawings illustrating certain preferred embodiments of the invention inwhich:

Figure 1 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a current collectingtrolleyaccording to the pres ent invention within a distribution duct.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the trolley according to the presentinvention.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the trolley on the line III-III ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the trolley within the ductshowing the current controlling attachments and tool support.

The trolley according to the present inven tion is shown within anenclosing duct 1 of generally rectangular shape formed by a plurality ofsections into a continuously extending duct within which the trolley issupported and is adapted to travel. The bottom wall of the duct isprovided with a slot 2 through which depend portions connected to thetrolley which is indicated generally at 3. Three bus bars 4 aresupported upon the interior top wall of the duct by'being attached toinsulating blocks 5 which. are,- in turn, secured to the duct wall. Thebottom wall of the duct on either side of the slot 2, as at 6 and 1,forms runways upon which mechanical supporting and riding wheels for thetrolley are supported. L-shaped brackets 8 and 9 are secured to theinner side walls of the duct with their horizontal flangesprovidinglimiting surfaces preventing upward movement of the trolleywheels.

The trolley, according to the present invention, comprises a rigidsupporting portion ll carried on ball bearing rollers I2 which aresupported for rolling movement on the trackways formed by the-bottomwall surfaces 6 and I. On the portion ii are rigidly mounted U-shapedbrackets l3 which extend through the slot 2 in the bottom wall of theduct. A U-shaped bracket [4 is rigidly connected to the brackets l3 andhas a hollowcylindrical pipe or column rigidly secured thereon; Thecolumn l5- extends above the portion It andis provided adjacent itsupper end with an out-turned flange It. An insulating platform I! isfloatingly supported by the portion ll by having an opening receivingthe column l5 in slidable relation and by the springs l 8 which bias theplatform H to its upward position limited by its engagement with theflange it, the springs it being positioned intermediate of a surface onthe portion H and the underside of the platform I 7 adjacent the cornersof the platform, as shown in Figures 3 and l. Upon the upper surface ofplatform ii are mounted three U-shaped angle brackets 19, one of whichis disposed adjacent one end of the platform and centrally thereof withthe other two disposed adjacent the sides of the platform near itsopposite end. Within each of these angle brackets is journaled a ballbearing current collector Wheel 2|. The wheels 2i, as well as the wheelsI2, are provided with dust guards 22, more particularly shown in Figure3. Due to the positioning of the rollers 2| in V formation, aconventional threepoint support is provided for the platform against thebus bars in the top of the duct. Circuit conductors 23 extend upwardlythrough the hollow column l5 and are connected to the brackets l9supporting the collector rollers 2i. A ground conductor 24 iselectrically connected to portion H where it is grounded through thewheels l2 to the body of the duct i. Rubber bumper elements 25 areprovided adjacent each end of the member H to minimize shock in theevent of impact with other trolleys in the duct or with the ends of theduct. These bumper elements 25 are disposed between the opposed sheetmetal platelike portions 20 rigidly secured to the portion ll The uppersurface of platform ll is provided with a plurality of posts 26 uponwhich is supported an insulating plate 21 having openings 28 thereinthrough which extend the current collector rollers 25; This plate 21protects the circuit wires 23 and the surface of the platform I"! frommetallic dust or other foreign matter which might be deposited from thebus bars or otherwise within The duct is provided with a gate the duct.It is to be noted that the platform I! does not contact any currentconducting parts so that metallic particles deposited thereon will notdecrease the dielectric or creepage resistance of the path between theconducting parts on the carriage.

To prevent transverse rotation of the trolley within the duct, sidethrust rollers 29 are provided. These are mounted on U-shaped brackets3| rigidly secured to the sides of the portion H and the rollers 29 rollagainst the side walls of the duct to prevent twisting or turningmovement of the trolley as force is applied thereto.

The trolley, as shown in Figure 2, is provided with a polarizing bar 32which functions to properly polarize the current collector wheels: 2|with the proper phases or conductors within the bus. This bar is placedat one side or end only of the trolley and is located above the uppersurfaces of the supporting wheels 12, as shown in Figure 4 and extendsinto the path of movement of the supporting wheels as shown in Figure 2.portion, not shown, and at the gate portion and at one side only of thegate opening, the horizontal portions of the flange brackets 8 and 9 areprovided with slots through which the polarizing bar is adapted to passif the trolley is inserted in the proper directional relation. If thetrolley were inserted with its direction reversed 180", the polarizingbar 32 would contact the under surface of the horizontal portions of theflange brackets 8 and 9 and would prevent insertion of the trolley. Inthis way the trolley contact rollers are polarized and the insertion ofthe trolley in the proper directional relation is ensured.

The two springs I8 mounted adjacent to the single roller 2|, as seen atthe right hand side of Figures 2 and 4, are only half as rigid as thetwo springs disposed beneath the opposite end of the platform IT. Thisresults in twice the force being exerted at the last mentioned end ofthe platform and, as there are two rollers located there, the resultingcontact pressure on all three circuit controlling equalized.

J ournaled to the U-shaped brackets l3 are cooperating pairs of U-shapedbrackets 34 to which is'rigidly connected a cabinet 35 containingcircuit controll ng devices. trolling instrumentality may be used withinthe cabinet 35, and as herein partially shown, there are provided afused switching device 36 and a manual motor starter 31. As hereinshown, the switch device 31 tacts carried upon the door 38 of thecabinet which may be swung downwardly as shown in dotted lines in Figure4. The circuit conductors 23 extend through the column 55 into thecabinet 35 wherein they pass through switch 3% and motor starter 3'! andthen from the bottom of the cabinet to a plug Mi adapted to be attachedto a cooperating socket element connected to the individual toolsupplied by the trolley. The bottom of the cabinet 35 is provided withbrackets 39 connected together by a heavy pin 4| adapted to receive andcarry a hook or other tool support indicated at 42.

If an operation is being carried out on one side of the duct and thetrolley pulled to move it along in the duct, the cabinet 35 will rotateon the swivel connection between brackets 13 and 34, as shown in dottedlines in Figure 2. This free swiveling movement together with the flangebrackets 8 and 9 and the side thrust rollers 29 rollers will besubstantially Any desired circuit conis constituted by fuses andconpermits the trolley to travel freely within the duct regardless ofthe direction of the pull from the portable tool to which it isconnected.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have beenspecifically disclosed, it is understood that the invention is notlimited thereto as many variations will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadestpossible interpretation within the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a trolley for an electrical distribution sys term, a wheeledsupport, a collector platform mounted on said support but movablerelative thereto, means limiting the extreme positions Of said platform,collector rollers on said platform mounted in V-formation, and a springbias tending to separate said platform from said support, the biasadjacent the single contact roller at the apex of the V being only halfas strong as that adjacent the pair of contact rollers whereby thecontact pressure on the three rollers is equalized.

2. In a trolley for an electrical distribution system, a wheeledsupport, a collector platform mounted on said support but movablerelative thereto, means limiting the extreme positions of said platform,springs interposed between said support and platform adjacent to thecorners thereof, collector rollers on said platform, two of the saidrollers being located adjacent to corners of said platform and a thirdroller bein centrally located adjacent to the opposite end of theplatform, the springs adjacent the corner rollers being twice as stiffas those at the opposite end in order to substantially equalize thecontact pressure on the rollers.

3. In a trolley for an electrical distribution system, a wheeledsupport, a hollow central column rigid therewith, a collector platformhavingan opening receiving said column, a stop on the end of said columnfor limiting the movement of said platform, spring means biasing saidplatform toward said stop, collector rollers on said platform, andlead-off conductors extending through said column from said rollers.

4. In a trolley for an electrical distribution system, a wheeledsupport, a hollow central column rigid therewith, a collector platformhaving an opening receiving said column, a stop on the end of saidcolumn for limiting the movement of said platform, spring means biasingsaid platform toward said stop, and collector rollers on said platformarranged in V-formation, the bias adjacent to the pair of rollers remotefrom the apex roller being twice as stifi as that at the apex wherebythe contact pressure of the three rollers is substantially equalized.

5. For use with a conduit having an elongated slot and bus bars mountedin said conduit and insulated therefrom, a carriage adapted to besupported in said conduit for movement therealong, trolley contacts onsaid carriage and insulated therefrom, means for urging said con tactsinto respective engagement with said bus bars, and a polarizingprojection on one end only of said carriage.

6. A current collector trolley having an elongated, contact carrying,rigid carriage that rides along and within a duct on two or more sets ofsupporting rollers positioned at the ends of the carriage, the carriagehaving side thrust rollers and an upward thrust roller, and rubber blockbumper'means at the ends of the carriage positioned in the horizontalplane of the supporting rollers for the purposes described, the rubberblocks being disposed between opposed parallel sheet metal plate-likeportions forming part of the trolley.

7. In a carriage for an electric trolley construction, a frame having asheet metal floor and a central depending portion, an insulating baseoverlying said floor and supported on said frame with at least the mainbody portion of thetbase spaced above said floor, supporting rollershaving transverse journals above said floor and below at least the topsurface of said base, and current collectors carried by said basebetween the vertical planes of said supporting roller journals.

8. In an electric trolley construction, a carriage comprising a framehaving a horizontal floor and a horizontal insulating cover spacedthereabove, collector contact supporting means housed between said floorand cover and including spring means, said cover having aperture meanstherein, and collector contact means on said supporting means andprojected vertically upward through said aperture means by said springmeans, said aperture means having a continuous rim conformingsubstantially to the horizontal cross section of said collector contactmeans passing therethrough but having a clearance therefor.

JOHN G. JACKSON. RALPH H. KINGDON.

